Clematis plant named ‘Evipo055’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, white flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification: Genus: Clematis. Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo055’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1994 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named‘Evipo055’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent primarily by flower color and growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant white flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for        container culture; and    -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo055’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 1995. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo055’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 1995. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo055’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo055’.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1. are flowers at various stages ofdevelopment, flower in parts, FIG. 2. leaves, and stems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo055’, as observed inits growth throughout the flowering period in glasshouses theNetherlands. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18 monthsin 17 cm containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the varietymay vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal,and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evitwo’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,167are compared to ‘Evipo055’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo055’ ‘Evitwo’ Flower diameter 135 mm. 100 to 180 mmGeneral tonality of flower color White Group 155D White Group 155C Tepalcount 6 12

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is    generally from April to September. Flowers on new and old growth.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Length 28 mm, diameter 14 mm.        -   Tepal color.—At ¼ opening, White Group 155B.-   Bud form: Elliptic.-   Pedicel:    -   -   Length.—75 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Strength.—Moderate.-   Receptacle: Not present. Tepals attach directly to pedicel.-   Flower arrangement:    -   -   Borne.—Singly.-   Flower bloom:    -   -   Size.—Diameter 135 mm. 10 mm deep.        -   Shape from the side.—Flat.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain 10 days on the            plant.        -   General tonality.—White Group 155D.-   Tepals:    -   -   Upon opening.—Upper surface is White Group 155D. Lower            surface is White Group 155C.        -   After opening.—Upper surface is White Group 155D. Lower            surface is White Group 155C.        -   Quantity.—Normally 6 tepals.        -   Size.—65 mm in length by 37 mm wide.-   Shape: Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is    acuminate. The tepal base is typically acute.    -   -   Apex recurvature.—Flat.        -   Margins.—Entire. Weak undulations of margin observed.        -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Arrangement.—Open.        -   Pollen.—None observed.        -   Anthers.—Size: 6 mm in length. Color: Greyed Yellow Group            161A. Quantity: On average, 65.        -   Filaments.—Color: White Group 155C. Length: 8 mm on average.        -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 25.        -   Stigmas.—White Group 155A.        -   Styles.—Color: White Group 155A. Length: On average, 10 mm.

PLANT

-   Size: Seasons growth attains 1.8 meters in height. About 45 cm wide.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 145B. Mature            stems are Greyed-Orange Group 166B.        -   Internodes.—On average, 7 cm between nodes.        -   Length.—Normally 50 to 80 cm from the base of the plant to            the flowering portion of the stem.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Texture.—Mature stems are ribbed. Juvenile stems are smooth.-   Plant foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Ternate.        -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.        -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are 80 mm (l)×120 mm (w).            Leaflets are normally 55 mm (l)×45 mm (w).        -   Abundance.—On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem.        -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 10 mm in length by 1.5 mm diameter.            Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A.        -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 20 to 25 mm in length by 1.5 mm            diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A.-   Leaf color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A. Juvenile lower    Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group 146A.    Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146B.-   Leaflet shape: Generally cordate. The base is cordate to rounded,    the apex is acute to widely acute.    -   -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth.        -   Thickness.—Moderate.        -   Glossiness.—Moderately Glossy.-   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the    species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt than    some clematis known to the inventors.-   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6.-   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for    climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat    zone 7.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo055’, substantially as described and illustrated herein, due toits abundant white flowers with good keepability, attractive foliage andcompact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions,suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durableflowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution inthe floral industry.